Table of Contents

Karibu

Planning a trip to Tanzania

Our Tanzania and Zanzibar itinerary

Meet Hadzabe and Datoga tribes

Things to do and experiences in Tanzania

Things to do and experiences in Zanzibar

Hakuna Matata

The Magic of Traveling in Tanzania

Karibu

Tanzania was a dream for us ever since we set foot in Africa for the first time, more than seven years ago. Sometimes it happens that opportunities come across when you expect them the least. Luckily, we didn’t have to wait too long. At our blog, The Magic of Traveling, we often share dreams of places and experiences, and we wanted to share how the trip to Tanzania went - the good, the bad, the challenging, the rewarding. This book is an expression of our desire to attract more and more people to immerse in the magic of Tanzania.

We’re Bistra and Nace – a globetrotting couple on a quest to travel the world, immerse in cultures, to meet amazing people, and create a positive impact. We have a semi-nomadic lifestyle while training to maintain connections with friends and family from all over the world. Our belief is that people are intrinsically good, and once you’ve met like-minded people, it’s a matter of time to create amazing things together. People we’ve met in Tanzania inspired us to share about the country and publish this very book.

Unlike the other books we’ve published so far, this one aims to show both the practical and poetic sides of traveling to Tanzania and Zanzibar island. It can serve you as an inspiration and, at the same time, as a guide when visiting the country. There are five sections in the book: planning a trip to Tanzania with all the practical details, our comprehensive Tanzania and Zanzibar itinerary, a dedicated chapter on meeting the fascinating Hadzabe and Datoga tribes, inspiration on things to do in Tanzania, and ideas on things to do in Zanzibar to feed your wanderlust.

Planning a trip to Tanzania

Hakuna Matata! After some lack of inspiration and good travel deals, we managed to find one – so we knew country number 73 would be Tanzania. After reading and thinking about making the most of Tanzanian safari experiences in wildlife and Zanzibar island beach life, we came up with an excellent combination of adventure and safari on the mainland, and beach hopping and snorkeling on the island. And that doesn’t even begin to describe our fully-packed Tanzania and Zanzibar itinerary!

In the following section, you will find all the tips and tricks to plan your fantastic trip to Tanzania and Zanzibar, including when to go, where to go, how to travel, where to stay, things to do, and other practicalities. Then we’ll continue with our detailed 10-day itinerary in Tanzania and Zanzibar. Let’s go!

Here are our reasons to visit Tanzania, the best time to go there, how to choose the right safari package. We included where to stay in Tanzania and Zanzibar and how to move around – by air, car, and boat. These are all the essentials to plan your trip to the African jewel.

Why visit Tanzania?

Well, we didn’t need much convincing to visit Tanzania. First, we love Africa! Second, we love wildlife, being in nature, spending time being active outdoors. And last, Zanzibar would be the perfect island-beach addition to any Tanzania trip!

Our Tanzania itinerary was the following: landing in Kilimanjaro International airport, stay nearby Arusha, then do the safari to Manyara Lake, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Eyasi, go back to visit Arusha for one more day. We continued with a flight straight to Zanzibar, where we decided to explore as much of the island as possible. After Zanzibar island exploration, we hopped on a flight from Zanzibar to Dar Es Salaam before we boarded Dar Es Salaam to home.

Best time to visit Tanzania

They say the best chance to spot wildlife in Tanzania is during the dry season – the long one is from June to October, the short one is in January and February. The long rainy season starts in March and ends in May, so people usually avoid it. We visited Tanzania in March, being aware that rain might ruin some of our plans. However, it rained for a short 10 minutes for a total of 11 days there. On the other side, the rain season is also a low touristic season, so our budget didn’t suffer too much.

They say the best chance of seeing the wildebeest migration in the Serengeti is during June and July. The time to see the wildebeest calving is from late January to February. Maybe we’ll do that one day, but now wildlife migration was not the focus of our trip.

Finding the right Tanzania safari package

To find the perfect safari for you, first, you need to search for Tanzania safari tour operators that run safaris that suit your style best. We knew we wanted to find an affordable safari package, but still full of adventure and local encounters. In fact, there was one MUST in our safari tour – we wanted to meet local tribes. We were on safari in Kenya some years ago, so we saturated our thirst for seeing wildlife. Now we wanted something a bit different – to meet local tribes and communities.

We shrank the list to the first few companies we found online that offered budget private safari options. Then we tried to get in touch, and eventually, we chose the most responsive company – Shadows of Africa. Together with their team, we crafted our 3-day Tanzania safari itinerary. It included Lake Manyara or Tarangire National Park (to be decided on the spot according to the most recent weather forecast), Ngorongoro Crater Conservation area safari, and Lake Eyasi area. There we would meet local tribes and do some activities together.

Last but not least, we saw there’s an option to stay at a wilderness campsite instead of at a town hotel for the same price. There’s no need to say which one we chose!

Where to stay in Tanzania and Zanzibar

Outside of the safari package, we booked all our accommodations ourselves via Booking.com. We are so happy because we found some fantastic places for pennies, most of them with lovely hosts! Here are all the accommodations we stayed at in Tanzania and Zanzibar. We tried to avoid hotels and resorts and stay at guesthouses, small hotels, bungalows, and hostels.

- Banana Farm Eco Hostel in Arusha is a lovely setting inside a banana farm. They prepared a late dinner for us and said goodbye with a pack of home-made coffee! Highly recommend!

- Migombani Campsite is a picturesque place in the wild for camping or glamping with majestic views towards Lake Manyara, a cool swimming pool, and Maasai security guards.

- Green Mountain Hotel in Arusha is excellent if you need a place near Arusha downtown, with super clean rooms, a swimming pool, and conference facilities – that’s the place for you. The staff was friendly and attentive.

- Mpole Bungalows in Michamwi in Zanzibar came to us by recommendation. Friends of ours were excited about the bungalows in a tiny calm village on the island’s East coast. The atmosphere, the friendly team, the beach is 50 meters away – we could have easily stayed longer!

- Green’s Guesthouse Nungwi, Zanzibar comes not only with the fresh green theme that runs around the guesthouse premises. It’s the super accommodating owner who even gives you a tour around Nungwi. And the breakfast is plentiful and super delicious! We couldn’t even finish half of it!

- Stonetown View Inn in Zanzibar City (Stone town) is the perfect place to get away from Stone town’s bustling rhythm. The staff was friendly and even helped us arrange a parking spot for free.

Transportation in Tanzania and Zanzibar

We decided to stick to public and private transportation while being on mainland Tanzania and rent a car to explore Zanzibar at our own pace. Keep in mind you need a local driver’s license that costs 10 USD and can be issued beforehand by your rental car company. We discovered that some regional airlines offer 35-41 USD tickets for legs that would otherwise take hours and days driving and probably a lot more money if we arranged private transfers. We wouldn’t go for intercity public transportation as we only had ten days in total and we didn’t want to spend half of the time on the road. Once we saw the airfare deal, we adapted our Tanzania and Zanzibar itinerary to fly between Arusha and Zanzibar for 40 USD per person and then skipped the ferry from Zanzibar City to Dar Es Salaam and flew for less money and just 15 minutes instead.

We found car rental companies would quote us 35 USD per day the least, but they wanted a 50% advance payment. They wouldn’t support credit card payments (unless you want to pay the service fee, too), so we decided to ask for a car in our first accommodation, so we only had the verbal arrangement. Someone was waiting for us at the airport with the keys to а Suzuki Escudo that had more than 200 thousand kilometers on the island’s bumpy road. Later it turned out that if you’ve already been to Zanzibar and know people, you can get a deal of 25 USD per day for a rental car. Then we returned it with an almost empty tank to a guy that was only 15 minutes late before our flight back to the mainland.

Our Tanzania and Zanzibar itinerary

Here comes our day-to-day itinerary. We’ll start with our itinerary in mainland Tanzania, featuring adventurous safaris, meeting local tribes, inspiring students, and more. Zanzibar is far from just a beach destination. We’ll continue with our Zanzibar itinerary – a road trip around the island, beach hopping and snorkeling, and making friends.

Day 0: Arriving in Tanzania baggage-less

We landed at Kilimanjaro International Airport, got a visa for Tanzania for 50 USD each, and found out that our luggage didn’t arrive with us. Such a surprise, and we’re just starting. We decided to stay positive and imagine what would happen when we stayed in the same clothes for a few days.

Back at home, we had arranged a transfer straight to the hostel near Arusha. We arrived after all the other guests went to bed, so the whole magically-lit yard was for us. The hosts were so lovely to cook us dinner and serve it in their living room. The perfect welcome!

Day 1: Arusha shopping and Lake Manyara safari

Our safari guide Charles met us at the eco-hostel (the hosts said goodbye with a hearty breakfast and a bag full of their freshly produced coffee), and we hit the road. But first, we needed some fresh change of clothes. We wouldn’t imagine that our first stop on the Tanzania itinerary would be for shopping, but that’s life. Charles took us to the market in Arusha and then the magic of lots of shop owners bringing clothes and shoes for us to try happened! Guess who was the center of attention, and one hour and two attempts for a receipt later, we were ready to go. We had to exchange some dollars for Tanzanian shillings, but we realized more than half of what we brought were bills older than 2009, which was a big NO for exchange.

We passed villages and towns on our way to Lake Manyara. It’s so absorbing to watch how life goes for the local people. When we reached Lake Manyara Park, we entered the world of wildlife, welcomed by hundreds of birds nesting in the trees and a student-guide to tell us a few words. Then we continued with Charles driving the jeep and stopping whenever there was something to spot.

So many baboons and blue monkeys greeted us. Inside the park, we met zebras, antelopes, gnus, many birds (they like lakes usually), giraffes, elephants, hidden hippos, flamingos in the distance, and pelicans, storks, vultures, and many more. The highlight of the day was the two lionesses who were leisurely hanging in a tree – it’s usually not typical for a lion to hang on a tree. But as the landscape is no flat over there, they need to climb to spot their prey. It was like looking at two big kittens, just chilling with finesse.

We arrived at Migombani campsite to enjoy the mesmerizing surroundings and the view towards the lake just before sunset. Our tent was up in no time, so we had time to take a shower and have a romantic freshly cooked by our chef Roman dinner in the dark. Yes, we had a private chef (we didn’t even know it was included in the price). A Safari and a Serengeti beer later, having hand washed and hanged our new clothes on the line, we were ready to fall asleep in our little mosquito-free tent under the stars.

Day 2: Ngorongoro Crater Safari

The morning brought one of our pieces of baggage in front of our tent. It was the right one – full of most of the stuff we would need. We still put on our freshly washed, newly bought items and geared up for another, very classical for any Tanzania itinerary, safari day – to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, where the 260-square-kilometers-huge Ngorongoro Crater is. The name comes from a cowbell’s sound, as the local hunters-gatherers heard that sounds from the herds.

We had breakfast at the campsite, cooked by our early-bird chef Roman. Then we hit the road with Charles towards the Ngorongoro Crater. We passed green fields, plenty of working people on the road, and so many clouds in the distance. The picture of Tanzania in our minds was much more yellow, and now, in reality, it was greener – we loved it!

We passed the small info center with maps and fun facts of the area at the entrance gate and continued up the road to the edge of the crater. Our first view down the caldera was from above and it was fascinating! We could see the green bottom with plenty of wildlife (thank you, superzoom lens). Then we started going down to the center of the crater and those headed to Serengeti just passed by. Isn’t that cool – to get to one national park, you have to go by another? We saw some cute Maasai kids and we even closed the dollar-photo deal with some of them. We decided to skip the Maasai village that was welcoming tourists – we’ve already spent lots of time with Maasai people on our trip to Kenya.

The day was full of hundreds of wildlife spottings – it is easy because the crater itself is kind of a closed system. We drove through herds of elephants, antelopes, gnus, gazelles, zebras, giraffes. Ostriches and secretary birds greeted us. Beasts and buffalos were looking at our safari jeep with curiosity. It was tough to know where to look – we were surrounded by wildlife! We stopped for lunch near a lake and could even see hippos nearby. Later we saw a muddy rhino. The highlight of the day was the lazy lions just sleeping in the grass, while a curious zebra was staring at them at a distance of no more than 10 meters.

When we got back to the camp, it was full of tents and guests around the pool. Like it was Saturday. We made peace with the fact that we won’t get to have a tranquil sunset like yesterday. But at least we had dinner before it was completely dark so we could admire the food visually, too.

Day 3: Lake Eyasi – meet the local tribes Hadzabe and Datoga and drive to Arusha

Time for checkout of the campsite and continue – we said goodbye to the Maasai guards and to our chef Roman (he made another fabulous breakfast and lunch to go). We headed to the Lake Eyasi region because there we would meet some local Tanzanian tribes.

We drove down dirt roads, passing fields of onions and other crops. When we entered a village, stop at a sign that said Lake Eyasi Community and met with our guide for the day Rasuli. Rasuli can communicate in both Hadza and Datoga languages as he used to live with the tribes.

Meeting Hadzabe and Datooga people, having activities with them, and being able to talk with them was one of the most pristine and authentic experiences we’ve ever had! Those tribes live in their communities and families as they used to hundreds of years ago. We have a separate section in this book about visiting the Hadzabe and Datoga villages near Lake Eyasi. Just to give you the tip of the iceberg – the Hadza people don’t even have the concept of age or numbers, and the Datoga women asked us how much they should walk to visit our village.

After those, full of emotions and kindness, encounters, we headed back to Arusha. Our last cooked and delicious lunch took place in a souvenir shop – at the African art gallery. We caught some 10-minute rain on the way back – hello, beginning of the rainy season. Charles dropped us at our hotel in Arusha, where our second piece of luggage greeted us. Hooray! We received a free upgrade to a bigger room and took advantage of the air-conditioning, hot shower, and other simple pleasures. We gave away our bag of clothes to the hotel maids and we couldn’t even describe the level of happiness and gratefulness – sometimes things we don’t use anymore might be the reason for many smiles!

It was time for a walk to see busy local life – Arusha is a big city and a lot is going on the streets. We cut a deal (500 TZS) for two freshly grilled corn cobs, discussed a price for a transfer to the airport with a taxi on the street, and went to the hotel to have dinner and rest.

Day 4: A day in Arusha – banks, bars, and motivation with Twende Social Innovation Hub and Njiro Secondary School

We had no idea what we were supposed to do on that day on Arusha as we had just one day free and then a flight to Zanzibar the next day. While planning the trip to Tanzania, we tried to get in touch with local community centers, innovation hubs, and other projects and communities we would want to meet. We managed to arrange a visit to the Twende Social Innovation Hub and their workshop. The problem was that for the last few days we hadn’t heard from them. But as they promised, it was Monday, and it was the day they would visit a Secondary school to present their workshop and projects. And we were invited to join!

In the morning, we decided to do something about our currency problem. We learned about a bank that would take our old dollar bills. We walked past improvised markets and dirt roads and got to the super fancy airconditioned bank only to get a lower exchange rate for our oldies. But lower is better than being around with empty pockets, so we had to accept it.

Later we hopped on moto-taxis to get to the Twende workshop. We took the “shortcuts” and arrived in no time. The workshop was full of many tools and equipment to innovate and solve the social problems of the communities. We loved the design thinking and other methodologies they use to build and test their innovations. As they try to attract younger people for their causes, there was a school visit planned. We were kind of honorary guests. Epi, Chris, two alumni Twende volunteers, Nace, and I headed to Njiro Secondary school.

The secondary school students were super friendly, disciplined, and enthusiastic to learn. We played one of our favorite geography memory card game; we talked about dreams, innovation, how we shouldn’t be afraid to share and work towards our dreams. The enthusiasm and dedication of those students impressed us – we hope some of them will go to the Twende workshop to build prototypes for their ideas. We finished with a short yoga session and then met with the principal to tell her how mesmerizing her students were and give the school library a gift – our first book, “The Magic of Traveling: Follow the Locals”.

The visit to Njiro Secondary School and Twende Social Innovation was so inspiring and overwhelming. A highlight of our Tanzania itinerary. We did drink plenty of water and fresh juice to recover the energy and freshen up for more experiences. In the evening, we browsed the hotel neighborhood for tasty local treats (mostly beer).

Day 5: Fly to Zanzibar, get the car, and head to Michamvi

Time for the island part of this trip – using a 40-dollar flight deal, we used a transfer we arranged on the street to the charming Arusha airport. It is a great airport – an open-air waiting lounge, a local market, and so much green everywhere—definitely one of our favorite airports.

After a one-hour flight, we landed on the humid and sunny Zanzibar island (the name of the main island is Unguja). We met with some guy who was sent to hand over the car. It was a Suzuki Escudo that’s been through a lot and is also one of the most common vehicles on the island. We headed straight to the East coast and Michamwi village, where we booked the Mpole bungalows. Nace got used to road traffic (total madness in the area around the airport), the narrow roads, and driving on the left quickly.

Mpole bungalows were waiting for us with a huge garden with trees and plenty of sand. We had to eat something and then head to the famous “The Rock” restaurant. We decided to spare some money and just photographed from every angle. It was the season of seaweed, but what can you do? Of course, the problem is the tons of plastic and other trash that gets stuck in between the seaweed. The view of so many local kids playing on the beach at sunset was much better than any fancy restaurant on a rock in the ocean.

We had a quiet dinner at the bungalows’ restaurant and then hanged out near the fire. It was super chill, relaxing, and tranquilizing – what we needed after some very active days. We met two boys from Bosnia and Herzegovina that seemed to be the only other tourists in the peaceful paradise at Michamvi.

Day 6: Safari blue tour and happy birthday to Bistra

“The Wiseman” at the bungalows convinced us to have the Safari blue tour. You start with riding to the Southern part of the island, then you hop on a boat and explore smaller islands, sand dunes in the sea, things like that. It sounded like the perfect birthday adventure.

It was super cool to board the boat at low tide (Zanzibar turned out to be a very tide-dependent destination). Walking on the slippery rocks for hundreds of meters is both adventurous and not the typical boat tour experience. We started sailing, passing away from the coastline and charming small islands. I spotted a couple of dolphins playing near the boat – we managed to see them jump a few times, and then they went their way.

We reached a sand island; it was time for snorkeling. The underwater world was plentiful in the azure waters, but I started feeling burning shots all over my body – so I had to go back on board and eat fruits in the meantime. Some other people had problems with those nasty jellyfish, so we just ate fruits and absorbed the views. Then we sailed to the island itself to have a walk – Nace swam to the island. It was refreshing to walk on a tiny sand island, just like we did it some time ago in Isla Paradiso in the Dominican Republic.

We stopped at a bigger island to have lunch (rice and seafood) and then see a huge baobab tree bent in two. It was nice to see something so majestic and so fragile at the same time. And of course, there was a massive lane of souvenir shops on the island. But who doesn’t love shopping?

We spent the sunset droning and roaming the beach at Michamvi. Local beach – no people, amazing views towards the setting sun, no distractions, and frustrations. The perfect end of a birthday (plus the beers afterward). One of the Bosnian guys had just bought a piece of land nearby. Most of the places around are owned by foreigners, most of which had fallen in love with the island.

Day 7: Drive to Nungwi, Jozani Forest, and many places along the Eastern coast of Zanzibar

It was time to leave that little paradise and to see what’s up in the north. On the way to one of the most popular tourist villages in Zanzibar – Nungwi, we decided to take a few detours. Stop number one was the Jozani Forest in the middle of the island. It’s famous for its Zanzibar red colobus monkeys. You can even encounter many of them on the road, but you need to pay the forest entrance fee for better photo ops and a guide to give you more information. After we saw the many red colobuses and their neighbors – the blue monkeys, we headed to another part of the park – it was a mangrove forest swamp with boardwalks. We managed to spot only some crabs, but we could use the trees’ shade over there. We saw some super small frogs (up to 1-centimeter-long)- really hard to spot, but our guide knew where to look for them.

The Suzuki and we continued the drive along the Eastern coastline. We parked in the middle of nowhere in between Bwejuu village and the vast empty beach – we drone over the low tide – fishers walk for a mile (literally) before they reach the water. Later we stopped by Chwaka fishing village to see the hard-working fishermen and the bustling fish market. The last beach stop we picked from the map was near Pongwe – we just saw a tiny lovely beach and decided to drop by. There was a group of kids playing football. One drone flight later, we were all friends.

We saw some ladies trying to hitchhike on the road, so we stopped. They were going a few kilometers up north, traveling between work at some resort to their village. A lot of people hitch like that in Zanzibar. And the local public transportation – dala dala – always comes full and overloaded with people and baggage.

Google Maps got us lost three times before we found our hostel in Nungwi. The green vibes and friendly owner Ali made up for the frustration of getting lost on those narrow dusty streets earlier. It would quickly turn to be our favorite of Zanzibar hotels. Ali showed us around. While we were getting to know the neighborhood, we met hundreds of students at the end of the school day. All those uniforms shining under the low sun on the dusty streets were like magic! We went to the beach to find out the high tide left pretty much nothing of it. We chose a place for a bite and to watch the sunset. In the evening, we decided to chill at the hostel’s garden; Nace even got a complimentary shisha from the owner.

Day 8: Mnemba island snorkeling trip and Kendwa

We decided to skip diving around Nungwi and Zanzibar as a whole because it was crazy expensive. We’re sure there’s a magical underwater world, but maybe next time for us. We stuck to snorkeling and booked another boat tour – to the private resort Mnemba island.

In the morning, we had one of the heartiest breakfasts ever served – Ali and his team’s hospitality was enormous – and headed to Nungwi beach to board the boat. You can indeed see the beach at low tide, and it’s wide and white, waters are azure. The low tide didn’t help with spotless boarding, so most people got wet, and we had to be extra cautious about the cameras and so on.

The Mnemba Island is so private and restricted that they’ll put a fine for you if you set foot on it. But you can freely swim and enjoy the corals (or what’s left alive of them) and the colorful fish. That day I was lucky – there were no biting jellies so that I could enjoy long and thorough snorkeling. The bird-eye view of the island and the area is just magical. I’m not sure it’s worth paying the money to stay there, though.

After a quick lunch on another inviting beach on the main island, we returned to Nungwi beach, and together with our partners-in-crime from Bosnia – George and Alex, we headed to Kendwa beach. They say it’s probably the best beach on Zanzibar island. It is covered with hotels, and if you can get in any resort or a secret path, you’ll reach the beach and see for yourself.

In the evening, when we got back in Nungwi, we did some heavy bargaining for souvenir shopping. We met some funny people at a supermarket. Our unexpected late-evening encounter was with a professional Maasai, a boy who introduced himself as Filip Kirkorov, and a very person who was a real comedian. Everything he said was a hilarious joke. He wasn’t even aware of that, though. All three of them covered for their boss, who was praying (most people in Zanzibar are Muslim).

Day 9: Drive to Stone Town, explore the West coast of Zanzibar, a party night in Zanzibar City

We hit the road south, destination Stone Town or Zanzibar City. The western part of the island was mostly empty – it was hard to spot someone outside of the villages we passed. We enjoyed endless fields of palms, though. Our next stop was Mangapwani beach - it turned out to be an abandoned resort with an enormous ship “parked” on the beach and a few locals repairing boats nearby.

This time, Google Maps + our paper map played us badly – we took north of Bumbwini in search of a beautiful beach. An hour and just 5 kilometers along dirt roads later, we reached a dead-end, which turned out to be a military base. Nace had a friendly chat with guys with machine guns and flip-flops, and we decided to go back. It was like getting to the most remote place on Earth, only to find out there is no hidden jewel there.

We reached the crazy Stone Town, where traffic was back to normal (we got so used to be kind of alone on the road those days). We parked the car, checked in into an air-conditioned room for a change, and decided to explore the capital on foot. Stone Town is an incredible mix of Oriental, Arabic, Islamic, Persian cultures, and you can’t get bored with its architecture, taste, or smell.

We chose a restaurant to watch the sunset and also observed locals playing, swimming, laughing, doing sports on the city beach. A huge wave washed off everything and it became again full of people and things only seconds after that. We had more than enough beers with our friends from Bosnia (who came to Stone Town for our last night together in Zanzibar).

We were hungry, so we headed to the Forodhani Park market. There were tons of food stalls, most of them quite overpriced (mostly tourists eat there). While searching for a toilet, we stumbled upon a bar inside the Old Fortress and stayed for a while. There was a birthday girl that fed us cake, live music, and dance. We even watched the typical Kigodoro dance played by locals in high spirits.

Day 10: Getting lost in Stone Town, fly to Dar Es Salaam, then a late flight to Amsterdam

We decided to get some sleep, rest, and chill on our last day in Zanzibar. The prayers coming from the nearby Mosque were already part of the everyday lifestyle, and we learned to sleep late. The hotel allowed us to stay longer in the room; we had breakfast on the rooftop and then started walking on the old town’s tiny streets. It’s not a cliche to get lost in Stone Town, as it’s quite easy. If you have the time to roam – do it aimlessly! We discovered few local markets with aromatic spices, the typical bread, and so many other tasty things.

We somehow found the hotel and a restaurant for a quick lunch. It was so hot outside! The restaurant shared the space with a local fair trade organization shop – so we picked up two African necklaces as souvenirs. I managed to try the super good Tanzanian coffee everyone’s bragging about – an excellent finish to our stay in Zanzibar.

We drove ourselves back to the airport, picking up a police officer (he needed a ride for few hundred meters, but how can you say no?). We had to wait for the guy at the airport to hand over the car for about 15 minutes – Hakuna Matata! Our flight to Dar es Salaam was 15-mins-short – we just jumped over and landed.

We saw there was a delay in our flight to Amsterdam at the airport, but we had nothing else to do than to hang out in a local fast-food restaurant – the only one actually. The staff was watching a football game, so we cheered with them as Tanzania won. People in Tanzania are so warm and friendly!

What is left for us to visit in Tanzania?

We won’t write a specific conclusion; we’ll use the space to put some fascinating places for our next visit!

- Serengeti National Park (for when we win the lottery)

- parks and reserves where you can meet orangutans up close (if something is left from the jackpot)

- Lake Victoria and its scenery and wildlife

- the beaches on the mainland (we heard they are the real deal)

- other parks, reserves, and tiny islands (have something in mind?)

Meet Hadzabe and Datoga tribes

We didn’t expect that two of our most exciting encounters with local people will happen in the area of Lake Eyasi in Tanzania. Two communities of African tribes that we seem to find somewhere back in time. They live with their traditions and customs since hundreds of years ago and have acquired minimal to nothing from the “modern” and “civilized” world. We present to you the Hadzabe tribe and the Datoga tribe! Any Tanzania itinerary should include this off-the-beaten-path activity!

We’ve been driving for two hours on dirt roads with the destination Lake Eyasi. We pass arable land, many crops with onions. We go by a few houses from what looks like a ghost village (it’s 10 a.m.; it is already quite hot). Several people are lying down in the shade of the trees. We reach a small hut and a sign for the Lake Eyasi Community with Lake Eyasi Health Center and Girls Vocational Training Center programs. Rasuli comes out of the cabin; he will be our guide and translator when visiting the tribes. Together, we ride the safari jeep, and our driver Charles tries to navigate through even bumpier dirt and almost non-existent roads. Lush vegetation has covered the ground, and finding your way around starts to feel like an adventurous expedition.

The Hadzabe tribe

We are very excited because we walk through the bush and see the local Hadzabe community (also called Hadza). What impresses us the most is that they don’t know when to expect visitors, so you encounter their regular daily activities when you get there. Our guide, Rasuli, gives them a sign with two quick claps as we approach their huts. In response, we instantly hear two claps back, which means they already know they have guests and are ready to meet us.

A group of women is sitting in the shade, two of them just rolling cigarettes. The Hadzabe people smoke tobacco and marijuana, which they obtain by exchanging products with the other tribes. One lady tells Rasuli that she had a dream of how he will come today. She tells him to share with us that she is the witch-healer of the village.

The Hadzabe are called Bushmen because they live in the bush and the forest. Their occupation is hunting and gathering fruits and roots – to feed themselves. They are identified as hunters and gatherers. They don’t breed animals (except for dogs), they don’t cultivate plants. 80% of their food is fruits and honey, and 20% is meat.

Their language is specific because of the clicking consonants – we barely even managed to say “hello”. We accomplish communication thanks to Rasuli, who lived with them as a kid and learned the language. Hadzabe tribe people try to live the way they always lived and don’t use modern communications. The government tries to support them by sending clothes for children and women and food when hunting and gathering are unsuccessful.

About 15-20 people live in the community we visit today. Half of them are out hunting, so we can’t meet them. We accompany two women to dig roots with pointed sticks. Two young boys manage to hunt a small bird with an arrow. The catch is cooked on fire literally for a few minutes. The ladies taste the tubers found in the ground; we try them too – juicy, sweet, and soil-flavored—a great source of water. Otherwise, one of the children’s tasks is to fetch drinking water.

We start a fire (we try to and get some help to do that) and watch how they make arrows and bake a pigeon. The boys give some of it to the puppies, which are being trained to be hunting dogs. We try to hit а target with a hand-made arrow and bow. We have superb young archers to set the example, but we will need more practice.

It is not natural for the Hadzabe people to send their children to school. There are governmental attempts to send youngsters to schools in nearby towns and villages – but up to now, with no success. Many children fail to get used to the environment and run away from school. If they have stayed for a little longer, they may not be able to find their family and community at the place they left them. The Hadzabes often change the place where they live – especially if the food in the area is not sufficient.

The main help they receive from the state is clothes and medicines. It gets cold at night and it is dangerous, especially for women and children – they get sick, often with pneumonia. Malaria is another serious problem- they treat it with medicines they get from nature, but sometimes they aren’t successful. When we met the Hadzabe tribe, we heard several of them coughing deeply.

We go back to the “residential” area, where now they arranged various hand-made souvenirs and items for sale. We choose a wooden spoon. We leave little money as a donation – the “civilized” people taught them how to recognize money by banknotes’ different colors. They use them for provisions or clothes for women and children. There is no concept of numbers or age in their culture, which might be a good thing.

The Datoga tribe

The Datoga tribe is another incredible encounter that will take place near Lake Eyasi in Tanzania. We ride the jeep again and stop in front of a house.

Their construction is somewhat more stable than the one of the Hadzabe tribe, houses are made of mud, twigs, adobe, and useful plants such as aloe are grown on the roof. Building houses does not mean that they don’t move – they rarely spend more than 7-8 years in one place. Inside the house, it is dark and cool; fire is burning – something is boiling.

Datoga people cultivate grain, love many different kinds of beans, grind corn with stone. With the flour, they make a delicious polenta, recognized even by the neighboring Hadzabe families. In general, they are not looking for food in nature; they grow it instead. They trade (exchange) grain for wild honey and fruit with the Hadzabes. I’m trying to grind corn flour, but I need a little more technique to do it without significant losses. Squatting next to me, a woman sorts different kinds of beans.

Datoga tribe occupies in casting iron and producing anything from bracelets to hunting arrows. They speak a completely different language (not a clicking one), but they manage to get along with the other tribes around.

The translator Rasuli helps us talk a little more with a few women in the family. Our small talk turns into a fascinating discussion about happiness, dreams, and lifestyle. The ladies claim to be happy to live according to their tribe’s traditions. However, they know that our lives are quite different and perhaps better. They ask how much time they need to walk to our village. Airplanes are a strange concept for them. In the end, we manage to score a deal and sell Nace as a son-in-law for 25 cows. But the negotiations will continue at our next meeting because we are sure there will be one.

In the tribe, polygamy is allowed, and usually, a man marries several women. Nace is still not ready to stay in the tribe, train for a blacksmith, and have a more straightforward way of life. Even when you consider 25 cows would have a tremendous impact on our family budget. Near the fire in a small yard, iron turns into arrows, bracelets, other appliances, and jewelry. Nace is trying to blow the hot iron with something that resembles a double bagpipe bag.

I like a copper-colored bracelet that is on the hand of the saleswoman. All members of the family will share the profits. This means we do not have to leave them a donation; we can buy something to support them. The copper bracelet is carefully wiped with sandpaper and is ready to come to my hand.

Tribes and communities of Tanzania

Words and pictures are not enough to describe our emotions with the get-together with the Hadza tribe and the Datoga tribe. Rasuli tried to teach us a few words from their languages, but we still need a lot of practice. To keep the little we learned, we asked him to briefly summarize the essential words to communicate better when we return to Lake Eyasi someday. Those clicking languages are not a joke. Here’s a video with a crash course in Hadzabe and Datoga languages.

Things to do and experiences in Tanzania

1. Join us on a trip to Tanzania, where we will connect with the country’s incredible nature and meet its fascinating people! It’s time for our favorite things to do in Tanzania, all under the slogan “Hakuna Matata”.

Stay at banana and coffee farm

Tanzania’s economy has a significant share of coffee production. The country has vast arable land cultivated to grow maize, rice, wheat, beans, potatoes, bananas, coffee, tea, and many other crops. And visiting small family-run plantations is the perfect way to get introduced to the country! We stayed at the eco-hotel of a banana and coffee farm, where we could walk around the plants, meet the family, and taste the production. We even kindly received a pack of freshly-baked coffee beans as a gift. We suggest such an experience anywhere in your Tanzania itinerary, to reconnect with nature, meet the locals and get to know about their lives, and appreciate the gifts of Mother Nature.

Find what’s hiding in the trees of Lake Manyara National Park

Lake Manyara Park is one of the less-visited wildlife sanctuaries, but it should be more visited. Due to its lush vegetation and the lake’s natural water source, it has so many fauna inhabitants that all you need is a jeep to go around and a safari guide to help you spot them. You get welcomed to the party by a plethora of birds; then you have small talk with baboons and blue monkeys, you nod your head to antelopes, gnus, giraffes, elephants, and at the end, you meet the majestic hosts – two lionesses gently hanging on a tree. The majestic hostesses were keeping an eye on the prey, i.e., the party guests.

The king of safari – Serengeti National Park

Serengeti is one of the most world-known wildlife parks. Plenty of people head to the park, especially during June and July, to observe the great wildebeest migration. While we haven’t had the chance to observe the migration neither in Serengeti nor in its brother from the other side of the border – Masai Mara in Kenya, we believe a safari like that should go with a grande occasion. So if this is your dream trip to Africa and Tanzania, if you’re celebrating a special event – don’t hesitate to visit Serengeti National Park and even splurge on an experience like a hot air balloon flight.

Go camping in the wild

Camping in the wild has quite a literal meaning in Tanzania, and we can’t recommend it highly enough. While campsites in the country vary by amenities and accommodation options, you can choose whatever will fit your traveling style and budget best. We went for pitched basic tents and had to walk about 100 meters for the restrooms and showers and wash and hang our clothes. Our dinner was cooked in the dedicated kitchen facilities and served on a wooden table with benches. Our neighbors stayed in super fancy glamping houses with private bathrooms. We all had this incredible view of the valley below us, enjoyed purple sunsets, and socialized in the restaurant-pool area. And don’t worry about security in the wild. 24/7 Masai guards make sure no wild animal will come to visit you in your tent.

Explore the Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area and its ecosystem

Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area was a highlight of our trip to Tanzania. The 2-million-years old crater is not only the world’s largest intact volcanic caldera, but it is home to a unique ecosystem that is separated from the rest of the world by the edge of the crater. Wildlife spottings are easy because of the flat bottom of the hole and the closed system. As you ride around, you’ll be surrounded by herds of elephants, antelopes, gnus, gazelles, zebras, giraffes, buffalos, beasts. Lonely secretary birds and ostriches say hello, while muddy rhinos and hippos set for their daily baths. We hit the lion’s lazy siesta time, which provoked curious zebras to get in dangerous proximity to the predators.

If you decided to go to Serengeti by car, you would pass by Ngorongoro Crater. We advise you to stop by and spend a few hours getting to know the inhabitants of this fascinating ecosystem. On the way, you will also meet some beautiful humans – Masai kids and Masai shepherds, some looking to connect to the environment, others looking to connect with you in their way.

Hunt and gather with the Hadzabe tribe

The Hadzabe tribe is one of Lake Eyasi’s best well-kept secrets. Along with your safari guide, you’ll have a designated guide from the Lake Eyasi Community to help you find the tribe and communicate with the people. Meeting people who live in such a relationship with nature as we, all humans on the planet, are supposed to live, is simply mesmerizing. Activities with the Hadzabe tribe include speaking their specific clicking language, following them to dig up roots and gather fruits, and even hunting with them.

Highlights of our time with the Hadzabe were the wise words of an old lady (the self-proclaimed witch) of the tribe and the process they use to produce arrows. The Hadza ethnic indigenous group consists of about 1300 people, a third of which still survives on the traditional means of foraging and hunting.

Cast iron and some spells with the Datoga tribe

Another of Lake Eyasi’s tribes that don’t move so much and has managed to cultivate crops and keep domestic stock is the Datoga tribe. Datoga people are almost 90 thousand and spread into different regions of Tanzania. Spending time with them was nothing short of fascinating as we could observe them in their everyday activities like grinding corn between stones and casting iron into beautiful jewelry and tools.

With some translation help from our local guide, we managed to go into a more in-depth conversation with some of the ladies of the village. We discussed different customs and lifestyles in their tribe and in our tribe. We knew we had met beautiful souls when we reached the topic of happiness. As we figured together with our new Datoga friends, happiness is a mindset and an attitude to life, and it doesn’t matter if you live near Lake Eyasi or you live in a foreign village that one has to walk a thousand days to get to (flying is out of the equation).

Have lunch at an art gallery

If you go for a safari and camping in Tanzania, you’ll be spoiled for lunches and dinners right in the wild, in the open-air, on designated spots right in the national parks. What we didn’t expect was a lunch that we had on the way back to Arusha. Our chef had prepared the food in containers; we stopped by an art gallery and souvenir shop and set up a table right in the middle of one of the halls. The event was like our inner art buffs meet the gourmands in the most unexpected way. So be ready for culinary and art surprises in Tanzania!

Get lost on the streets of Arusha

They say the best way to get to know a town is to get lost on its streets. That’s what happened for us in Arusha. We decided to leave the hotel and walk in the neighborhood, and we feel that was when we started seeing Arusha. People running all sorts of errands, street sellers always ready to chat with you (even when it’s clear you’re not going to buy anything from them), locals hustling to get home before dark, friends talking and laughing as if there’s not a single care in their world. We lost track of time and sense of direction, and decided to get two freshly-grilled corns and just go with the flow. What a better way to get lost and discover a new place!

Ride with a motorbike taxi

We knew motorbike taxis are a big thing in Tanzania, but the pure need empowered us to use one to get from A to B within the city. Growing up with the perception that motorcycles are dangerous vehicles that only bad boys and girls ride, it was a huge shift for us to recognize motorbike taxis as a means for transportation. Riding the bike with an experienced local driver, with the fresh breeze in your hair, avoiding jams, and passing different neighborhoods – it was just wow, how have we missed that feeling for most of our lives?

Go shopping at the open-air market

Indeed, you can always go shopping for your favоrite brands, to the shopping centers with inviting windows, and to the well-known stores. But you’ll be missing out if you head out shopping and not visit one of the open-air markets with makeshift stands and stalls in Tanzania. The places where service-oriented merchants are willing to satisfy your every whim.

When we had to go shopping in Arusha, we asked for the local market and what a service did we receive! First, you don’t need to walk around searching for the right size, model, or anything. The first shop you go to will have someone running between all the other shops and stalls to find what you need. You have to say yes or no until they find whatever you’re looking for. There’s no competition in the market; there’s only collaboration! Another thing to love about Tanzania!

Try to exchange dollar bills that are older than 2009

Even something that seems like a simple errand can turn into an adventure in Tanzania! They left us with a couple of older than 2009 one-hundred-dollar bills in Bulgaria, so we had a hard time using them. Pretty much nobody wants them in Tanzania. So we spent a decent amount of time on the mission “exchange old bills for new ones”. The adventure started with trying not to fall into huge potholes on the way to a super fancy shiny bank office.

We met a couple of dressed-up ladies taking their donkeys for a walk and passed a place for what seemed to be a market for prohibited items. When we were losing hope that we’ll find the bank in the middle of the city and at the same time, in the middle of nowhere, we saw a big sign. Convincing the bank employee that the bills are not fake was hard, but carrying a couple of hundred new US dollars on the way back was harder. We hate having lots of cash.

Give away your clothes and make someone happy

We want to encourage more travelers to give away things they love but don’t use anymore. We have all those clothes that we regularly give to friends and family, charities, and sometimes even strangers. Your clothes can have a second life and can make someone happy. That’s why we always have a bag of old clothes in good condition when we travel. Sometimes when we give away clothes, we also get clothes and other gifts in return, and this action is more than an exchange of stuff – it’s also an exchange of emotions, stories, kindness, and love.

So in Tanzania, you can make someone very happy by giving them new additions to their wardrobe. We left our bags of clothes and shoes in one of our hotel rooms. A few maids were so excited about the new stuff; they even tried some of them over the uniforms. You never know where your gift will end up, but giving it to local people is the best way to reach those who need it.

Meet with social entrepreneurs

To complete a lovely trip to Tanzania, you will want to meet with the people directly working towards the country’s better future. We wanted to connect with fellow entrepreneurs. Before our trip, we got in touch with some organizations. Twende Social Innovations Center warmly responded to our request and even proposed to include us in one of the presentations they do in schools to attract students.

Here we were, in a secondary school in Tanzania, talking to students about dreams, change, science, and entrepreneurship. It was amazing to test some simple ideas, exchange thoughts, play games, even do yoga. We hope the kids got inspired to join the Twende workshop and prototype their ideas to help their communities. So if you want to know a place, know the people who are working for it to become a better place – there are a few opportunities to participate in such initiatives and projects in Tanzania.

Help build a school

Our firm belief is that education is the key to improving our communities and our. So we were excited when the Learn to Serve Community of Tanzania (LESCOTA) organization got in touch with us to share the fundraising project for building a school and a library in Ruvuma. If you share the same belief, we will invite you to find any campaign that works for better education. Join it any way you can - by physically taking part in volunteering in the construction process, making a donation, or just sharing about it.

Climb Mount Kilimandjaro

Mount Kilimanjaro is still a dream for us and many, a dream that we see in beautiful photos, a dream that says hi when our plane is landing, a dream that even elephants gaze at every morning, eating grass from the nearby flat plain. We wonder how many times we will return to Tanzania to climb the mountain and feel on top of Africa! If the mount with three volcanic cones and five climate zone is calling you, you should answer. Hakuna Matata, Kilimanjaro!

Things to do and experiences in Zanzibar

3. Zanzibar is a lovely paradise-like archipelago that carries the island vibe and quickly makes its visitors fall in love. Is there something else you can experience, besides the beaches and the ocean? You’ll be amazed by all the various things to do in Zanzibar. So let’s jump into the jewel of the Indian Ocean, the gem of your Tanzania itinerary – Zanzibar!

Safari Blue

Safari Blue is one of the most popular things to do in Zanzibar. You start with riding to the southern part of the island, then you hop on a boat and explore smaller islands, sand dunes in the sea, to sail the sparkling seas. It is super cool to board the vessel at low tide (Zanzibar is a very tide-dependent island). Walking on the slippery rocks for hundreds of meters is both adventurous and not the typical boat tour experience.

Then you start sailing, passing away from the coastline, saying hi to small islands. You can even spot dolphins playing near your boat – just pay attention to the surroundings – we managed to see a few of them jumping by our boat for a few seconds.

Later you’ll reach a sand island; it is time for snorkeling. The underwater world was plentiful in the azure waters. There might be some nasty jellyfish to sting you, but it’s no so bad – half of the people don’t even feel it. However, be more covered when you snorkel, and you won’t have a problem. You can also swim to the sand island and walk on it – enjoy this little paradise!

Snorkel around Mnemba Island

Mnemba Island is private and restricted - they’ll put a fine for you if you set foot on it and don’t have a reservation for the resort. But you can freely swim and enjoy the corals and the colorful fish. That was the place with the most plentiful underwater flora and fauna we experienced in Zanzibar. Mnemba Island is not far from the coastline of Unguja, where you can still walk on the sandy beaches and enjoy this magical part of the island. The bird-eye view of the island and the area is even more magical. We’re not sure it’s worth paying the money to stay on the island (plus they seem to have nasty mosquitos), but you can experience it as a half-day trip from Zanzibar’s main island.

Dive around Tumbatu Island

We wish we had done this – diving around Tumbatu Island, as the feedback and the photos suggest it will be one incredible dive. Tumbatu Island has the loveliest coral gardens in North Zanzibar. Its three dive sites – Shetani, Popobawa, and Mwana – have flourishing corals reef, with a large variety of soft and hard corals. The reef starts at 3 meters and drops down to 12 meters deep. So you can also snorkel there, and even if you’re a beginner diver – that’s the place for you.

Kendwa Beach – dhow sunset cruise

People say that Kendwa beach is probably the best beach on Zanzibar island. Even at low tide, it’s surprisingly easy to swim without walking hundreds of meters. The sand is nice and smooth. Well, the not-so-good news is that the beach is flooded with resorts, but you can still reach it. We spotted some typical dhow boats on a sunset cruise, and we couldn’t think of anything more romantic and magical to do at that very moment! So try the sailing with dhow boats and immerse yourself in the atmosphere of true Zanzibar!

Nungwi beach – high-tide sunset drinks

Another very magical thing to do in Zanzibar, which includes a famous beach and sunset, is having delicious sunset drinks from one of the many bars on Nungwi beach at high tide. What used to be a white-sand beach had turned into moderate waves crushing the stone base of your bar. All you need to do is relax, get a front-row table, and wait for the sun to go down!

Walk on the reef at low-tide

You can walk on the reef at low-tide on many beaches on Zanzibar island. In the beginning, we felt a bit upset – we had to walk a long time to get to the water. Later we realized it’s kind of the most exciting things to do in Zanzibar. You can do it anywhere you see the low-tide has left the reef naked. We especially like our time in Bwejuu village and its empty beach.

Chwaka fishing village

Fishing is one of the main industries in Zanzibar. You can visit a fishing village to observe the whole process, from boats going into the deep sea to fish left to dry up under the sun. We stopped by in Chwaka village to check out the whole fishing process and the fish market (if you can survive the smell, go for it).

Play on the beach with locals kids

One of the best stops we had was somewhere in the Pongwe area. We let the drone fly, but the best part was the nearby improvised football field where at least a dozen kids played. We quickly made friends with them (some of them spoke a few words in English barely) – but we had a nice toy, so that’s what kept us together.

The Rock restaurant

The Rock is a famous restaurant that is worth a photo. We decided to skip having a meal because of the price list. You can still enjoy the beach nearby, swim or walk to the restaurant (depending on the tide) and meet many local people there, especially at sunset.

Spot the Zanzibar red colobus monkeys in Jozani Forest

The Zanzibar red colobus monkeys are endemic to Unguja island. They need our support and efforts for conservation as they are endangered species. One way to contribute to them is to visit the Jozani Forest, pay the entrance fee, and have a guide to walk you through the forest. You can also spot the blue monkeys – the neighbors of red colobus monkeys, other species in the swamp surrounded by majestic mangrove trees, and tiny frogs – up to up to 1-centimeter-long.

Spice Plantation Tour

Zanzibar is called “spice island” for a reason. You can smell the reason once you step on the island. Whereas you will pass many spice fields even when you drive around, you can also join a spice plantation tour. You’ll see where spices grow, among them cloves, nutmeg, vanilla, Zanzibar’s famous cardamom, cinnamon, curry, menthol, pepper, tamarind, and ginger. You’ll also see tropical fruits such as papayas, mangoes, and jackfruit.

Find a huge ship “parked” on Mangapwani beach

During one of our wanderings on Unguja Island, we took a detour to check out a beach and a resort, but we stumbled upon something even better. There was an enormous ship “parked” on a beach, standing a bit lonely. We met a few people fixing different kinds of smaller boats. It was quite interesting to find a bit forgotten but so authentic part of the island.

Historical sights in Stone Town

When you reach the capital of Unguja – Stone town, or Zanzibar City, it’s time to dive into history. We recommend visiting the National Museum of Zanzibar, House of Wonders, and the Old Fort. Those places are bustling with history, architecture and one can learn so many things about the rich past of the Zanzibar archipelago. Don’t forget to check out the house where Freddy Mercury himself lived – it’s nowadays a hotel where you can stay, or you can do as most of the travelers do – take a photo with the façade and them hum a Queen’s song until the end of the day.

Get lost on the streets of Stone Town

Stone Town is an incredible mix of Oriental, Arabic, Islamic, Persian cultures, and you can’t get bored with its architecture, taste, or smell. The best thing to do in Stone Town is to get lost on its network of tiny streets. Behind every corner, you’ll stumble an excellent piece of architecture. If you follow the various aromas, you’ll get to a market, a workshop, or another surprise. Leave at least a few hours to get lost on the streets of Stone Town, and don’t hurry to find yourself!

Forodhani night market

Forodhani night market is a bit touristy and the prices for non-locals tend to go higher, but it’s an experience in Zanzibar. You can try the famous Zanzibar pizza, Biryani, Ugali, date nut bread, coconut bean soup, and so many more delicious bites. Don’t forget to bargain for the price and enjoy your Zanzibari feast in the lit-up Forodhani garden!

Learn the history and meet giant tortoises on Changuu Island

From Stone Town, you can take a boat or a tour to Changuu Island, which is much more known as Prison Island. On the island, you will learn about that dark piece of history of slavery and how slaves were treated before they were transferred to other parts of the world. Changuu Island is also famous for its giant tortoises so that you can have a pleasant encounter with those beautiful and peaceful creatures.

Travel in dala-dala

The ultimately cool means of transportation in Zanzibar is called dala-dala. It’s kind of a minibus that can fit anyone who wants to get in, and it will transport you from A to B in a colorful, funny, and a bit crazy way. Dala-dalas on the narrow roads of Zanzibar are such a contribution to the island’s charm!

Kigodoro dance

A typical traditional dance from Tanzania, Kigodoro, is nowadays too controversial. Women shake their bottoms frivolously, while some get into a “trance” state and get undressed. We were lucky to spot the first part – a spontaneous dance by some local ladies on the beach. The state has blacklisted the “new generation” version of the dance, but it’s still popular, especially at weddings.

Hakuna Matata

Traveling to Tanzania will be the right choice for you, no matter if you are about to set foot on the African continent for the first time or you’re returning to this magical piece of nature and culture for another time. We believe Tanzania and Zanzibar are experiences you should have at least once in your life.

We’ll finish the book with a verse from the Tanzanian national anthem.

God bless Tanzania

Grant eternal freedom and unity

To its women, men, and children

God bless Tanzania and its people

We will always be open to your questions, ideas, and love for the adventure called Tanzania. Don’t hesitate to get in touch with us!

Asante Sana!